Emanuel and the Clockwork King
by Miss-98
Summary: All his hard work is starting to face it's end...but problems occur from every corner and Emanuel begins to question everything. Who's lying and who's telling the truth? (Outplays just after Clockwork Angel)
1. Prologue

******Before you start reading I want to tell you that only some of the characters belong to me and the rest is created by the lovely Cassandra Clare.**

******BTW, there will be mostly info in this chapter.**

Emanuel Holt was sitting in his study, a foggy and gloomy night, waiting and constantly checking his pocket watch. This very night he was feeling rather upset. His master had not let him come along to complete the plan they had worked on the last couple of days. Therefore, Emanuel was bored out of his mind and this waiting was annoying.

This was the night his master, Axel Mortmain, would strike at the London Institute for Shadow-hunters. This plan evolved during many sleepless nights, including an awful lot of preparation because of the incidence at the Dark sister's house.

When his master was told that the Dark sisters let Theresa Gray, a girl who they needed for their plot, slip through their fingers he became infuriated and blamed the failure at everyone. Emanuel could not blame him. Hence, Mrs. Dark was punished for what had happened but even so, Mortmain spared Mrs. Dark's life because she could still be of use to him. Mortmain managed to lure out another masterpiece of a plot from his cunning brain to claim back Theresa Gray. She's a part of the grand final of their entire plan.

Emanuel had always admired his master's slyness and volition. Axel Mortmain was the man who raised Emanuel but he was not his biological father. No, his real father was executed by the Clave because of a man named Josiah Wayland.

It all began just before Emanuel's birth. Emanuel's father was a great Shadow-hunter and the Clave considered naming him the consul for his great achievements. But when Wayland found out about this he tricked the Clave into believing that Emanuel's father had been working with Downworlders to plot against the Clave. Even if Wayland did not have enough to proof to showcase that his theories were true, the Clave still decided that they'd strip Emanuel's father of his title and execute him, by beheading his head. The most vile way one could execute a man. Mortmain knew of Emanuel's father and they were friends and because Emanuel's father had died and lost everything they had, including their own home, Mortmain had decided to take in Emanuel and his mother. But after a year his mother sickened and died. It was said to be out of grief of her husband's death. Ever since Emanuel grew up he had hated Wayland, Shadow-hunters and the Clave for what they did to his family.

Mortmain always said from there on:

"Do not waste your energy on anger. My parents were killed too because of Shadow-hunters and we shall not let them walk freely without being condemned. There's a way to take the Clave down and all of the disgusting children of the Nephilim with them. But I will need you by my side at all time, Emanuel." He was just six years old when Mortmain told him this, the six year-old boy was filled with anger and disgust. He nodded and said to Mortmain.

"I will stand with you and help you, forever." Mortmain had smirked and told him what needed to be done.

Axel Mormain explained to the young but angry six year-old Emanuel that there were some-type of devices, named automatons by Mortmain's parents, that could work as an army to take down the children of the Nephilim. But what this plan needed was a girl, who would become a substantial part of the plan. This girl who years later grew up to be Theresa Gray. Her life played a crucial part in his master's plan but he never mentioned to Emanuel why Theresa mattered. Only what Emanuel's part was in the fulfillment of the plan. He received instructions to the development of the automatons and how one could bring them to life. All of it was written in a small, leather hard-covered journal. The cursive was hardly readable, the first half was written in Arabic and the other in half in Latin.

Hence Emanuel grew up with having many tutors (all of them were mundanes) educating him about mechanism, Latin, Arabic, physics, anything required for him to know about. So he'd know how to develop the automatons. And luckily for them, did Emanuel not only turn out to be an intelligent and bright child but Mortmain also knew that Emanuel's family excelled in the art of the mechanism.

At the age of sixteen Emanuel's attempt to create a full-working army of automatons began and from there on his days were filled with several experiments and trials but unfortunately for Emanuel, he failed too many times. His master often left him alone in the apartment in London, telling Emanuel that he would not return unless they worked. Even if Mortmain's parents had showed him how to create the creature's and wrote it down in the journal, their last steps were extremely difficult to perform. Emanuel worked harder and started to sketch new designs and revelations. Drawing was one of his talents as well. The first one to be created by Emanuel's own ideas stopped working after some minutes. But after three years Emanuel had conquered the art of creating these creatures. His master came back to the apartment and was introduced to the working automatons. Mortmain gladly told Emanuel that they were now closer than ever to fulfill their plan. They used two of their very best creatures to help the Dark sisters with Theresa Gray.

Not only did Emanuel get educated about mechanism but he was trained also in the field of battle, in case Mortmain or himself ever needed protection. Mortmain did also remind him of how lucky he was. Considering his own kinds, the Clave, would have let him live out in the street. His master had always remarked this constantly;

"You should be forever thankful to me, I took you in when no one else would, I gave you a home, food, shelter but most importantly, I'm giving you vengeance for your parent's death."

Emanuel reciprocated those words with obeying his master faithfully at all time and cost.

One of the automatons that severed as a servant came in the door, waking Emanuel from his boredom and thoughts and asked if Emanuel wanted any coffee. He turned his head and shouted for it to get out. The stupid and slow ones got to work as servants while the smart ones were fighters.

He got easily annoyed by how they would always ask him unnecessary questions. Sometimes Emanuel wanted to burn them but the automatons were hard to create and they would not go to waste just because of anger.

The fire behind him began to dowse and his eyelids were getting heavier and heavier. Eventually Emanuel feel asleep on his desk.

Suddenly someone slammed the door so hard Emanuel woke up from his sleep.

"We have to leave. NOW." It was his master, he was covered in blood and behind him stood Nathaniel, one of their companions and Theresa's brother.

Emanuel was weary and not thinking clear so he didn't catch up on what his master was shouting for. Mortmain shook Emanuel and shouted louder:

"We lost and we need to leave!" Emanuel finally reacted and got out of the chair.

"What are you talking about?" He asked.

"We need a new plan but first we're leaving. Only take with you what's important, there's a carriage waiting downstairs. There will be an explanation there." Mortmain was screaming.

Emanuel took only his journal, where all his sketches, ideas were written down, including the construction of the automatons. The three of them ruched down and got out of the apartment. The carriage door was open for them to enter. Nathaniel banged on the door as a signal for them to leave, when all of them had parked themselves in the carriage.

The carriage passed Mortmain's house and Emanuel took one last glance of what had been his home for twenty-one years. A strange feeling of unrest began to pick up in his mind but he shut it out.

The only thing that was of importance was why Mortmain and Nathaniel had returned without Theresa Gray. Emanuel looked at Mortmain, he had blood on his clothes, outraging eyes and he kept murmuring out swear-words. Nathaniel on the other hand looked fairly net, barely as if he had just experienced a difficult fight.

"Could you explain to me what happened? And why Theresa Gray is not with us?" Emanuel asked. Mortmain looked at him and let out a sigh.

"Explain to him, Nathaniel, explain why you all failed me", Mortmain said.

Nathaniel opened his mouth and began telling Emanuel about what had occurred at the Institute.

******Any thoughts on this so far? Lots of love, Leila.**


	2. His master's new idea

******YAY, another chapter. I also want to thank all of you who are ********still******** reading, lots of love to you!**

"...but fortunately I captured the Pyxis." Nathaniel ended his story by showing us the box containing demon energy, Mortmain had spoken of the box and it's important contents. The demon energy can help revive the automatons, he'd told Emanuel.

"Fortunately? You find that fortunate? Sometimes I question if it was wise of me to let you in, Nathaniel. The Pyxis is not enough. Not only did we lose Tessa, but now we are forced to leave London for somewhere new to hide from those foul Shadow-hunters." Mortmain remarked.

He sounded even more furious than before. Nathaniel's smile was wiped from his face. Emanuel had never liked Nathaniel or even tried to like him, he only worked with them to gain power, something his master ignored.

"Where are we heading?" Emanuel asked.

"To Wales, I have a summer home there."

Emanuel tried to begin a new conversation but Mortmain seemed as if he did not want to engage in social talk at the moment and he waved his hands in front of him.

"Not now, Emanuel."

Although his master had raised and educated Emanuel, it never grew to be a relationship as strong as one between a father and his son. It hurt Emanuel somewhere along the time, since he had never experienced what it was like to be truly loved and cherished. Therefore, a repression took place instead and Emanuel worked hard so he could impress his master.

When Nathaniel Gray was introduced, it was like a blow to him. But after an explanation of his master's use of Nathaniel, Emanuel gave in and accepted that Nathaniel was part of their plan for vengeance.

After a while both Nathaniel and Emanuel fell asleep but Mortmain stayed up, calculating ideas and plans to take back Tessa. After his parents death he'd vowed to revenge their death and make the Shadow-hunters regret their actions. The hate for them only seemed to grow stronger everyday, and with it followed a desire to rule over them and the world they lived in. But it required many matters to contrive his plan, one of them were Emanuel. Kidnapped at an infant's age, the boy became a part of Mortmain's life plan.

One rainy day a faerie by the name of Avaritita came to him, he wanted to exchange a Shadow-hunter baby for yin fen - it was a dangerous demon drug and many who tried it easily became addicted to it. Mortmain had let it pass since the faerie had nothing else of value to offer him but after the meeting he ordered one of his mundane men, who worked for him, to kill the faerie and take back the yin fen. He always knew how to make the most out of a bad situation by having the faerie killed and at the same time acquiring the Shadow-hunter boy which was like killing two birds with one stone.

Emanuel was viewed as another thing, something to be used for for his plan.

The boy never suspected anything, Emanuel would always keep close to him and protect him. Mortmain despised humans, but this boy grew on him and for a while he had let himself create a bond between them. This sickened Mortmain and he began to treat Emanuel coldly for many years, for instance by leaving him to work all alone in the apartment.

Until the day Emanuel wrote to him explaining he had succeeded with the automatons. He'd manufactured a working automaton and demonstrated it to him. It was then that Mortmain realized how valuable the boy actually is.

During the long journey to Wales they only stopped at inns and barely spoke to each other- this went on until they arrived.

The carriage they rode in halted with a sudden stop it shook it's passengers inside and snatched Emanuel and Nathaniel out of their sleep.

They had arrived and it was night-time. A young female servant dressed all in black with very blue eyes opened the carriage door.

"Welcome back, Mr. Mortmain." She said.

All three of the passenger stepped out and viewed the scenery. Wales had beautiful landscape with it's green hills. It was very different from the streets of London were Emanuel grew up and looked like it was taken out of an artist's painting.

The lady servant led them up to the manor, passed black gate, and walked towards the Gothic-like house. It was more like manor than a house. The front door of the manor opened for them and the lady servant led them into a hallway with a red carpet and walls filled with paintings of landscape. How ironic, Emanuel thought. Why have paintings of landscape when you could just look through the window. The celling was elevated and inside it was shaped like a pentagon, in the middle dowelled a stair in dark mahogany. Emanuel was quite impressed by the manor, it was reasonable considering all his life he had lived in a regular apartment which he barely stepped out of.

"May I take your coats, my lords?" The mundane servant asked gently. She reached out her hands and received their coats.

"I will be in my study alone, send up supper and coffee, nobody disturb me, I will not tolerate any kind of interruption." Mortmain uttered and began to walk up the stairs. He stopped suddenly, turned around mid-stairs and looked at them.

"Show the gentlemen to their rooms if they need to rest."

The lady servant nodded, she hung the coats and said,

"Please follow me, my lords."

Nathaniel shook his head, "I'm not tired, I want a carriage to be prepared for me."

Emanuel did not bother to ask where Nathaniel was going. He already knew that Nathaniel was going out to gamble which was one of his many weakness.

But Emanuel was feeling rather tired and felt that the best thing to do was sleep and asked to be taken to his room.

"Yes, of course. I just have to inform the hodge to prepare a carriage." She said before she left them alone in the hallway.

A young brown-eyed woman apperad in the hallway, dressed in a servants' clothing. She walked up to Emanuel and said;

"Follow me, please. I will show you to your room, sir."

Emanuel was led upsatirs to another hallway with many doors leading to other rooms. It seemed that it might have been an old institute or an academy. Maybe even an old inn. This hallway had no paintings. Instead, the walls were painted in dark green and roundabout stood ferns with flowers in them. The house was decorated in a simple taste. The servant stopped in front of a wooden door on the right side of the hallway.

"Two doors away", the servant said, "is the lord's room." She pointed at the innermost room, it had a larger door and it was most likely the biggest room.

"He has his study in his bedroom?" Emanuel asked.

"Yes, sir." The servant replied and opened the door to Emanuel's room.

Emanuel's room was simple, there was a bed with blue sheets, an armchair next to the fireplace and a window to the bed's right. It viewed the outside entrance to the manor. Perfect to look through if anyone was arriving at the manor.

"Is there anything you need, sir, just ring the bell." The servant told Emanuel.

"Yes, you may leave." Emanuel said and she left, closing the door behind her. He did not even bother changing and threw himself on the bed. Within minutes Emanuel fell asleep.

The next morning Emanuel awakened by a rooster that made it's normal morning announcement. Why on earth would his master have a god-damn rooster at his summer manor?

"Damn bird. Shut your damn beak." Emanuel murmured into his pillow.

He tried to fall back to sleep but gave in due to the rooster's loud noises. Finding some clothes that fit him in the wardrobe he quickly changed into them and left the room. He made his way to the dining room without getting lost. The dining room was a big with a long table in the middle and chairs, a chandelier hanging above the table. It must have been an academy, Emanuel thought to himself, this would have been where the pupils sat down to dine.

He found his master sitting, eating his scrambled eggs in peace. It was an odd atmosphere around his master.

"You're awake, Emanuel. Did the rooster wake you up?" Mortmain asked without turning his head to look at him.

"Yes, master. May I ask why you have a rooster at your manor?" Emanuel said and sat down at the table.

"You might never now when you could have use for it. Care for any breakfast?"

"Yes, I'll have eggs."

Mortmain rang the bell and told the servant to make more egg and then continued to eat his eggs in silence. Emanuel did not know what to say to break the awkward silence. A servant appeared with a plate after a few minutes.

Emanuel looked at his pocket watch; it showed 7.50. His pocket watch was the only thing he had inherited from his father, the only possessions he truly cared about was this pocket watch and the journal.

Emanuel began to eat and thought that the eggs tasted even better than their food back at the apartment in London.

"I'm in a better mood, Emanuel, care to guess why?" Mortmain asked. He looked straight at Emanuel with his green eyes. A lump got stuck in his throat so Emanuel cleared his voice and replied with a why.

"After all these year, out of all the people, you should be the one to know what puts me in a good mood." Mortmain said but did not wait for Emanuel's answer. "I have a new idea. This time it's better. But it's also dangerous."

"What kind of idea?" Emanuel asked and ate another bite of his eggs.

"Not no, I will explain later. Come to my room when you are finished."

Mortmain got up and left the room. Emanuel wondered what the new plan involved. He hoped it would work better now and that this time he could help his master better. After finishing his breakfast he left the dining room, went up stairs and knocked on the door to his master's room.

"Enter."

Emanuel opened the door. Unlike Emanuel's room, this room had a desk where his master sat behind and right next to it was a fireplace.

"Sit down." Mortmain said. His tone was quite cold for feeling joyful. Emanuel sat in an armchair, placed in front of his master's desk. He was facing his master.

"Nathaniel is not here, but it does not matter. Both of you will have different tasks this time." Mortmain said.

**What do you think? I wouldn't mind getting any reviews from you guys!**

**Next chapter will be up next week :)**


	3. The remaining days in Wales

**Hi everyone! Chapter three today :)**

This room - the master's room was more decorated than the other rooms. The walls were painted with a tree-like green colour and with prints on the green background of complicated black patterns. They seemed to shape themselves into different flowers that were tangled with each other. Most of the furnitures; the desk, the bed, the chairs were all in mahogany, dark mahogany that fitted perfectly in with the green colour on the wall.

Apparently this room had more thought put into it, Emanuel thought as he looked around the room. He didn't want to look at his master because his green eyes perched at Emanuel. They had been sitting like this for some minutes.

Finally his master looked away from Emanuel and stared out the window.

"This task must be performed perfectly and I do not want mistakes to occur at all, Emanuel. I'm not a forgiving man. You know that." Mortmain exclaimed.

Emanuel nodded.

"I want you to disguise yourself, pretending to be a Shadow-hunter. You will travel to the Institute and bring back Tessa." Mortmain continued.

Emanuel was paralysed in shock. He didn't know how to react, he had been hoping for a task but not this kind of task. Did his master really want Emanuel to risk everything by going to the Institute? And Emanuel never wanted to be around those filthy Shadow-hunters. They were the reason his parents were dead.

"Master...I am proud to work for you and follow your commands but..." Emanuel began, "but would this be safe?"

"Are you questioning my ideas, Emanuel. Isn't that ungrateful considering I took you in and gave you everything?"

"No but-

"I have thought about this the whole night. I'm certain it will work." Mortmain interrupted. Emanuel looked down at his shoes in defeat.

"How will the Shadow-hunters let me in to the Institute?"

"I have allegiance with someone who's working within the Clave, someone who has great power and I will correspond with that person. That person will write back to Charlotte Branwell, the head of Institute, that Leo Heultman, that's you, is going to stay at the London's institute. "

"I will pretend to be Leo Heultman?" Emanuel questioned.

"Yes, that's a Swedish Shadow-hunter's name. So you will pretend you're Swedish."

"But I don't know how to speak Swedish."

"Emanuel, do you honestly think that's what you need to worry about?"

"No, master. You're right." Emanuel felt stupid for asking that question.

Mortmain got up from his chair and walked to the door.

"I'll tell you more about within a couple of days, first I need to write some letters. Send Nathaniel up here. I want to speak with him." Mortmain said and opened the door. Emanuel walked out and said:

"Very well, master."

The following weeks passed by with only bad weather. Wales had many similarities with England and one of them were that it rained a lot, Emanuel noticed. He'd been told by his master that Emanuel would get ready for departure in about two weeks. The allegiance they had within the Clave had responded to his master's letters and worked out how to make Emanuel get in to the Institute and not get caught.

There wasn't anything more Emanuel could to say to Mortmain about why they should change the plan.

Strange enough Emanuel felt some sort of disturbance whenever the idea of him being among Shadow-hunters came up in his head.

About two days before the departure, Emanuel made the hodge prepare a horse for him to ride on, so he could take one last look at the landscape of Wales. For him, there hadn't been anything to do. Nathaniel kept gambling and his master either stayed in his room or went out to places for work. Instead, Emanuel kept focusing on his task, about how he could convince the others living in the Institute that he was really Leo Heultman.

How would he succeed with this new plot to capture Theresa Gray? This was the first time Emanuel would live with Shadow-hunters. How do they behave and what do they speak about? Living outside the social life and not speaking with a variety of different people is familiar to Emanuel. Mortmain barely let him walk outside when they'd lived in the apartment in London, it was too "dangerous." The only ones in the house were servants and they didn't speak with Emanuel.

For the first five years of his life, he tried to get at least someone to talk to him but nothing worked. Eventually he accepted his defeat and gave up, that was when his interest for science woke up. The older he got, all the more colder and angrier he became. But Emanuel held it down, remembering he'd get the chance to exact revenge on the people who angered him and made him an orphan.

While riding the black horse he'd been given, Emanuel realised how much he actually enjoyed horse-riding and exploring new places. A sentiment for curiosity is needed when one is working as scientist.

Only green hills surrounded his master's manor and the closest house was an hour away by carriage.

Emanuel stopped next to a lake, around the lake grew oaks. Just in front of the lake were many flowers. Emanuel got off his horse. The horse exacerbated, animals easily sensed something was wrong, but Emanuel laughed it off. "I'm just getting off, nothing to worry about." Emanuel patted the horse's mule and it stopped it's exacerbating. Animals were easy, they're not like people, Emanuel thought. You didn't have to say anything for them to know everything was all right. Humans weren't the same way.

For him to succeed and bring Theresa Gray back to Mortmain with him he would need to charm everyone. Yes, charm every single person in the Institute. Emanuel sighed, "This is going to be hard", he said out-loud. The horse neighed back at him.

When evening had arrived and the sun hid behind the clouds Emanuel went back to the manor.

The hodge stood in the stable, brushing one of the horses. The stable contented of four boxes for the four horses and which Emanuel noticed, all of them were black.

"Fine one, she is", the voice came from the man brushing the horse. He nodded at the horse Emanuel had rode on.

"She certainly is." Emanuel murmured. The black stallion was rather calm when Emanuel first rode on her. Luckily his master had hired a teacher to teach him to ride. Every summer Emanuel travelled to a summer house just outside London where he would spend his riding.

The hodge received the rein from Emanuel and he left the stable, he'd barely made it through the hallway before Nathaniel showed up from the dining room. He was eating an apple.

"I heard what kind of task the master bestowed upon you. I doubt you'll make it. Those Shadow-hunters are foul people and you can't trust that they won't realize you're a fraud." Nathaniel said with a sly smile.

Emanuel handed his coat to a servant who came into the hallway, she disappeared as quickly as she appeared.

"I know what kind of person you are, Nathaniel. I despise people like you and I can see through your lies. The Shadow-hunters are not what you empathize them to be." Emanuel replied and snarled at him. Nathaniel took nonchalantly a bite of his apple.

"You'll know when you're there. Don't make me say I haven't warned you", Nathaniel said and pointed his finger straight at him. "By the way, the master wants to speak to you." He left and Emanuel went up the stairs. What if Nathaniel was telling the truth? Emanuel shrugged it off and opened the door to his master's room. As usual he was sitting behind his desk, writing something.

"You didn't knock. Haven't I taught you that a person knocks on the door before he enters it?" Mortmain exclaimed. Emanuel stopped midway to the chair.

"My apologies, master." Emanuel said.

"Sit down, it's just a bagatelle right now. There are more vital matters to concern oneself about. I haven't told you everything about your task." Mortmain stopped writing and retrieved a envelope from one of his drawers. Emanuel sat down and waited for his master to continue.

"Leo Heultman is a Shadow-hunter from Sweden, he has brown hair and brown eyes", Mortmain looked at Emanuel, "which you have. He's eighteen and a graduate Shadow-hunter. He had travelled to London two days ago. Apparently the Clave has given Charlotte Branwell two weeks to find me. If she does not find me, she'll lose her position as the head of the Institute. Your role is to pretend you have been sent from the Clave to help Charlotte with her job. Meanwhile you will befriend Tessa. I will write to you, pretending I'm one of your distant cousins living in England. You will write back to me, telling me exactly what's happening at the Institute and after you've befriended Tessa you'll take her to a ball. There you'll encounter Nathaniel. Together you must put her out so she doesn't fight back. From there you'll travel back to this manor. A carriage will be waiting for you."

Emanuel had to listen with alert ears, he was given a lot of information to sink in.

"I will inform you more about the ball when you've arrived and we've corresponded." Mortmain said. He seemed to be calm.

"What will your penname be?" Emanuel asked. He was rubbing his palms to each other. This was something Emanuel did whenever he was nervous.

"You will be writing to Eric Heultman, your father's cousin."

"But I know little of Shadow-hunters, they might notice I don't act like a normal Shadow-hunter." Emanuel said. His master got up from his chair and began walking around the room.

"Easy, Emanuel. Pretend you have different rules and manors back at Sweden. I understand this is dangerous, I wasn't sure of this from the beginning. I though of sending one of my mundanes who has the Sight but then I thought of _you _and I realised thistask was meant for you. It's the only way to take Tessa back. I need her for my final part of this plan. I need you to succeed, Emanuel." Mortmain convened, he sounded so sure that Emanuel's commotion went away the moment he finished his sentence.

"I will succeed, master. Nothing is more important than to perform the final plan, you taught me that and I will try until I draw my last breath."

The last day before Emanuel's departure, he and Nathaniel almost had a fight. It started out with Emanuel asking what Theresa Gray was like. They were eating dinner in the dining hall, Mortmain was up in his study. He barely left it and ate most of his meals there.

"She's stubborn, more or less." Nathaniel said with a coldness in his voice, his blue eyes glared back at Emanuel. Ever since Nathaniel joined forces with Mortiman he treated Emanuel as a child and it bothered Emanuel.

"Isn't there something else you can tell me about her?" Emanuel asked, he tried to at least be polite to Nathaniel for his master. "Something that will help me."

"No... or maybe. She hates chocolate." Nathaniel said and took another bite from his bread.

"You lived with this girl for twenty years and all you can tell me is that she's stubborn and hates chocolate?"

"What else do you need to know. It's just as well you will fail." Nathaniel responded, he rang the servants bell, one of them arrived seconds later, "yes, sir", she asked.

"I want brandy." Nathaniel said.

She nodded and left the room to return with a glass of brandy. Great, now he'd have to argue with a drunk Nathaniel, Emanuel thought.

"If I fail, our master will be angry with not just me but you as well_._" Emanuel punctuated the last words. Nathaniel stood up, saying:

"I do not have time to help an incompetent inferior. You do your own work and stick to your own business, I never asked you to help me before." Rage flashed through Emanuel and he stood up hastily. Both men stared at each other with hate.

"_**You**_..." - Emanuel began but got interrupted by a servant, she said nonchalantly that Nathaniel was needed in the master's study at once.

Nathaniel looked away from Emanuel and left the dining room while Emanuel's hateful glare followed him.

For a moment, Emanuel considered the idea of eavesdropping on the master's and Nathaniel's conversation. But would Emanuel want to destroy his master's trust?

Finally, Emanuel came up with an excuse that it was necessary because whatever Nathaniel was told, Emanuel would probably know about it sooner or later. So he got up the stairs, walked through the hallway and stood in front of his master's door.

He could only hear a few words, someone was walking around in the room. It was hard to hear what they were saying because of the sound of footsteps.

Emanuel only caught up on words like "letters" and "Jessamine, it was his master that said those words. Nathaniel merely seemed to be listening. Suddenly there was footsteps growing louder toward the door. Emanuel quickly got out of position and hurried to his own room. He sat down in the armchair. Jessamine is a girl's name, he thought. It must be one the girls that lived in the Institute. And letters...he thought a little longer until he realized that his master probably asked Nathaniel to correspond with Jessamine. But for what purpose? They already knew that Nathaniel was a lying about everything and that he was working with Mortmain.

Emanuel was a little annoyed. Usually his master would revel whatever he spoke about with Nathaniel to him but this time he didn't. Emanuel sat in the armchair, thinking and trying to figure out the clues, why's and all the questions running around in his head.

The hour grew late and it left Emanuel asleep with dreams haunting him with questions of his past, and how's and why's.

During the middle of the night Emanuel woke up and noticed he'd been sleeping in the armchair. He went to his bed and tried to fall asleep again. But he remembered a dream about a family that were shattered around the world. They kept looking for each other but couldn't find one and another. Why was he dreaming about that?

**Chapter three done! If you have any comments, questions or reviews don't be shy! **


	4. Theresa Gray

**Before you start I want to mention that in chapter three when Emanuel and Nathaniel have a fight and Emanuel says that Nathaniel has known Tessa for twenty years, it's actually wrong. Tessa is sixteen, so Nathaniel has actually known Tessa for sixteen years not twenty. My mistake, sorry guys! Also, I usually update on Sundays or Saturdays but because I was sick during the weekend I couldn't bring myself to write. But there will still be updates on Sundays or Saturdays so chapter five will be up this weekend! PS: Yesterday, in the Swedish calender it was Emanuel's name day, yay for him :)**

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A carriage stood ready outside, it was dark-brown. Two black horses were coupled to it. One of them were one of the horses Emanuel had ridden on. Because Emanuel had spent a lot of time with the horse and gotten to know it very well, Emanuel had pondered of asking Mortmain if he could have the horse but it would just upset his master. The horses whinnied and stepped anxiously with their hooves. It seemed like they didn't enjoy being coupled to the carriage.

The coachman that had taken them from London to Wales took Emanuel's belongings. He had a black beard and was very, very tall. Even taller than Emanuel himself.

"Sir, are you ready?" The coachman asked Emanuel, he appeared to notice that Emanuel wasn't on a very good mood. He just nodded to the bearded man and stepped into the carriage.

The reason he was upset was because of Mortmain's unexplained behaviour. These past weeks, Emanuel viewed him less as a master, Emanuel even wondered if Mortmain actually believed in him. It felt to him as if Mortmain wanted to dispose of Emanuel and sending him into the enemies' claws was one of the ways. All the years that Mortmain reminded Emanuel to call him master started to wear off. He hadn't come to say farewell, not that there's should have been a sentimental goodbye. But at least some words that said something, as in Mortmain was expecting that Emanuel would succeed.

Another whinny from one of the horses snapped Emanuel from his thinking. _Well, this time I have the chance to prove my master that he can rely on me more than that imbecile Nathaniel, _he thought.

"This is going to be a long ride." Emanuel said out loud, the coachman from outside heard him and asked:

"What did you say, sir?"

Emanuel said it wasn't anything important and to commence the long journey that lied ahead of them.

* * *

During their travel they didn't stop much unless it was for personal matters such as sleeping or eating. It was important to arrive as quickly as possible for Emanuel, he also now began to view himself as Leo Heultman. He even told the coachman to call him that. More or less, they arrived the second day, three days earlier than it took for Mortmain, Emanuel and Nathaniel to arrive at the manor in Wales. Emanuel felt an immediate sense of profoundness but shrugged it off. There was no time for such absurdity.

The Institute, Emanuel noticed was located near the river Thames. He could smell the by-passers who's work was to pick up whatever they would discover in the river only so they could sell it. Verminous trade and it showed on the humans who stood along the river. Their clothes were ragged and dirty. Under their tired eyes were dark circles with dirt covering their faces and even if the clothes hanged on them, Emanuel could see their bones sticking out.

Emanuel felt some sort of fellow understanding or empathy. After all if Mortmain hadn't saved him from the terrible fate of the poor and homeless, he would have been here on the streets, just like these people.

"Here we are", the coachman said.

They'd stopped north of the river Thames. The building they had stopped in front of seemed to be abandon. Was this really the enormous and prominent Institute? Emanuel thought it would look grander and fancier.

"Shall I carry your belongings into the Institute, sir?" The coachman called.

Emanuel shook his head;

"This is where I go alone. You may return to master."

The man bowed; "Good luck, sir."

Emanuel took his belongings with him and walked towards what seemed like a very old Gothic church. A creepy feeling crawled out of the blue as if something was going to happen but he shook it off easily. He masked a fake smile and decided what accent he'd use. Then he knocked at the large door.

A couple of minutes passed by as he waited for someone to open the door. Shadow-hunters might be stronger and faster than humans but it still took them far too long to open a door. Eventually the door was opened and Emanuel was faced with a young lady. Her appearance chocked Emanuel but luckily the girl did not notice it in Emanuel's face. What seemed to once have been a beautiful face now looked like a deranged mask because of a scar, that had settled itself across the left of her face. Emanuel was polite enough not to stare at her. Instead he greeted her.

"Good evening. My name is Leo Heultman, I was expected to meet Charlotte Branwell, the head of this Institute."

The young lady did not say anything, so Emanuel awkwardly asked;

"Are you Charlotte Branwell?"

She strained her posture and said;

"No, I'm a maa-id, I work here as a maid."

For a moment there was a silence until she proposed for him to come in. The maid stepped aside to let Emanuel in.

"You can wait here, I'll fetch Mrs. Branwell." She said, then walked away and left him. The inside of the build did not justify the inside, on the inside it was more grand and on the walls hung swords and what Emanuel noticed was the Shadow-hunters' designs of their runes.

The maid hurried back, this time a short and tiny women with brown eyes followed after her. Was this really the head of the Institute? Emanuel laughed in his head. He wasn't so frightened any more. What could could this tiny women possibly be capable of?

"Welcome, Mr. Heultman. I hope your journey went well." Charlotte Branwell said.

Emanuel suddenly realized why she was the head. Around her was this strong expanses, she kept her head high and did not show any sign of infamy.

"Thank you, yes, very well. It's a wonderful Institute you have here, much grander than the one back in Sweden." He chirped and gave her his most charming smile. She thanked him.

He quickly glanced at his pocket watch. It was supper time and Emanuel was feeling quite hungry.

It felt like Charlotte read his thoughts when she commented;

"Supper will be severed soon, but Sophie could show you to your room first. You might want to unpack, I assume." Charlotte clasped her hands together and looked at the maid who had opened the door for him.

"You speak as if you have known me for years, Mrs. Branwell. It is comforting to know I will have such a cognizant women to help." Emanuel framed.

"You are too kind, Mr Heultman. But I'm afraid I have to leave you to Sophie. There is something I need to deal with." Charlotte said with a more cheerful tone. She didn't look too affected by his words though.

Then he gave another smile to Sophie, she responded by looking down at the floor. She began to walk out of the hallway and headed towards the large staircase. _Well this girl is depressing, _Emanuel thought while he followed after her.

Sophie stopped at a door, leading into a bedroom on the second floor. The bedroom had the stairs on the opposite side of the second floor. Emanuel made a joke in his head about how it was a great location for him to run away quickly if he got caught and needed to escape.

The bedroom was similar to the one at Mortmain's manor in Wales. A large wooden bed with, this time blue sheets, a fireplace with an armchair and a next to it a big wardrobe. Very simple.

"This will be your room." Sophie said.

He nodded as a response and went in. Sophie remained at the door.

"Is there anything I can get you, Mr. Haltman?" Sophie asked.

"It's not Haltman, it's Heultman." Emanuel replied.

She blushed and apologized.

"There's no need for an apology, many people say my last name wrong. One time, a man mistook my name for _Hellman." _

He laughed and not surprisingly Sophie didn't join him. She just stared at him.

"I need to unpack my suitcase and if I need you I'll just ring the bell." Sophie nodded and left Emanuel. It's really going to be hard winning over these people's fondness, hopefully Theresa Gray wasn't to alike as the people he had just encountered.

* * *

After taking out his clothes, shoes and others things he'd packed with him, Emanuel took his journal and hid it under the pillow. Surely it was ridiculous to hide something so valuable and secretive as the journal under a pillow but he heard a knock on the door before he could find a better hiding place.

"Who is it?" he asked.

"Supper is ready, Mr. Heultman." Sophie.

Emanuel opened the door.

"Would you care to show me the dining room, this Institute is larger than the one in Sweden where I lived. I might get lost." Emanuel asked.

"Of course."

They went downstairs, passed the entrance door and Sophie showed him into a large dining room with art on the wall. The paintings showed angels fighting against demons.

Emanuel noticed a pretty blonde girl sitting on the right, eating roasted chicken with potatoes, she took one glance at Emanuel and shrugged her shoulders as she didn't care that a person she didn't know had just entered the room.

Charlotte was nowhere to be seen. Sophie left him, mumbling something about a Bridget needing help in the kitchen. So he sat down on one of the chair.

"Good evening. It is a fine night tonight, isn't it?"

Emanuel said in the most polite way he could to the blonde girl, he knew it sounded ridiculous but he had never been much of a conversation-starter.

The girl glared at him.

"I haven't gone out tonight and even if I did I wouldn't exactly say it's a fine night. London is very far away from what I would say a beautiful city. Such a silly thing to say." She snapped back at him. "Aren't you that Shadow-hunter? Who's going to help Charlotte?"

"Why, yes I am. Where is Mrs. Branwell by the way?" Emanuel tried very hard not let his tone change. This girl appeared to have no manners at all.

"I have no idea and I do not care." She continued eating. Emanuel shot her an angry glance when she looked away. Another servant came in the room. She was singing;

"In Bodenstown churchyard there is a green grave,  
And wildly around it the winter winds rave;  
Small shelter I ween are the ruined walls there  
When the storm sweeps down on the plains of Kildare."

She placed a plate with food in front of Emanuel, he had no idea what to say to her. Then she just walked away. He thought of complimenting her singing but she might take it as an insult. If anything at all. But better to say nothing, he said to himself. The maid didn't even seem to care what someone thought of her singing. Not to mention these people acted strange.

The food tasted amazing, in fact, the food tasted better than what was severed at Mortmain. Emanuel started to think about what Mortmain wanted with Nathaniel and Jessamine.

"BRIDGET, is there any food left?" Someone shouted from the hallway, It was male's voice. In walked a boy with blue eyes and dark hair, he looked at Emanuel and sat down.

"Leo Heultman?" he asked while Bridget walked in. She placed a plate of food in front of the blue-eyed boy. Emanuel noticed it's the same servant who gave him a plate of food. Now she's not singing but humming with her voice instead.

"Yes, that is my name and what is your name, might I ask?"

The dark-haired boy replied with food in his mouth, "My name is William Herondale."

The blonde girl looked at William with disgust in her eyes.

"True gentleman do not talk with food in their mouth." She said.

"Since when did I ever intend to act as an gentlemen?" William said with sarcasm in his voice.

The girl just shrugged and sighed at the same time. She left the room and grumbled;

"I hate this place."

"Typical Jessie behaviour, she hates everything." William said. _So this is Jessamine._

"Really, why is it so?" Emanuel asked intrigued.

"She doesn't want to live the life of a Shadow-hunter, she hates it. Jessie only resides here because her mother and father died in a fire. She doesn't have anywhere else to go. Try not to talk to her, it's best that way."

"I think I can make that judgement myself." Emanuel realized how rude that came out. William stared at him. "After all, everyone deserves a chance?" Emanuel quickly added.

William just continued eating eventually he finished his plate, he didn't seem so interested in Emanuel. Before he left he muttered;

"Not everyone deserves a chance." Emanuel wondered what he could mean by that.

* * *

Emanuel got to meet Charlotte's husband as well, a red-headed man named Henry. When Emanuel was in the same room with him it felt as if Charlotte's husband was absent. But it quickly changed for Emanuel when Henry had realized that they both shared science as an interest. Emanuel gained an interest in Henry as well.

Henry told Emanuel that he worked with inventing new equipment to help Shadow-hunters.

He wanted see all of Henry's inventions and the place where he created all of them and Henry wondered if Emanuel wanted to see his workplace but Charlotte interrupted their intriguing conversation. She said she needed Henry's help with something.

Not knowing what to do, Emanuel decided to explore the place but before even taking another step outside the dining hall he bumped into another girl. People walked around not minding others. Emanuel imagined the place to be more stern, just as it was for him growing up in Mortmain's home. This time it was a girl, she had a serious look on her face and she was the same height as Emanuel himself.

"Sorry, my apologizes." Emanuel said and bowed to bring some humour into the incident. The girl smiled faintly and said:

"You must be Leo Heultman. I'm Tessa Gray." She curtsied. Emanuel laughed back. Finally, he had met _her_. The reason he was here.

"Always a pleasure, Miss Gray."

"Likewise, Mr. Heultman. And please you can call me Tessa. After living with Shadow-hunters I'm not so used to such formalities."

"As you wish, Tessa." Emanuel said. She looked as if she was about the leave but before she'd taken a step Emanuel blurted out;

"Could you perhaps show me around the Institute? I'm mean...if you would like to?"

"Yes, it's one's duty to show newcomers around." Tessa said.

She began with showing him the first floor, then showed him the dining room. He told her that he had already been there. So instead they went to the weapons room. It was very big with work-out equipment and weapons, of course. All from simple knives to the sharpest daggers. Then they went to the hallway with the swords and runes that hung on the walls. After that they continued on to the second floor which was just bedrooms. Tessa explained the basement was used for Henry's inventions and the last room she showed him was the library. It was a very magnificent room and the largest library he had ever seen, Emanuel thought.

The library was two floors and filled with bookshelves and sofas. Above them hung a chandelier. It created a warm and gentle feeling to the room with its luminous light.

"Do you read much?" Tessa asked.

"Not particularly, I never really enjoyed literature. There are other things I prefer." Tessa looked disappointed.

"And you, Tessa. Is reading a passion of yours?"

"I've always loved reading. This is my favourite room in the entire Institute."

Why couldn't she be interested in mechanism, at least they'd have something to discuss, Emanuel thought to himself.

Both of them sat down on a purple sofa placed next to a large bookcase. It had a sign that said, "THE HISTORY OF WEAPONS"

"I must agree that books are enchanting if you found one you love and when you do, a piece of that book stays with you forever." Emanuel states.

"I couldn't have put it more perfectly, Mr. Heultman."

"Please, Leo and let me tell you that you're one of the first people ever to say my last name correct."

She smiled and said;

"I do not know of your family. The only matter Charlotte informed us was that the Clave sent a Shadow-hunter to help her with the search of Mortmain's hiding place. It was the only information she received as well. All of us thought your family must be very secretive."

"No, that is not the case. I believe the Clave themselves have much to be done and so they could not be bothered to send a letter full of information about my family. There is not much to tell only that my family is a very old Shadow-hunter family. Actually one of the first ones in Sweden. My ancestors built the Institute in Helsingborg and we are still running it. But it is only my two younger sisters and my parents who live there. And our servants, as well. There is not so much to tell about the Heultman family." He said the name of the Swedish city with a slight accent.

Luckily Emanuel had received a letter about the Shadow-hunter family from Mortmain, which he had recited by heart.

"But you speak English well and you do not have an accent."

Emanuel quickly came up with a lie.

"I travelled to England very often during my upbringing and I moved here recently. That is why I speak English well."

They sat quietly for a while. Tessa looked around the room.

"You love books, do you have any recommendations for me? I trust you have a lot of knowledge in the field of books. " Emanuel asked Tessa.

"Have you heard of Charles Dickens? His work is astonishing."

Emanuel shook his head. "I have never heard of the author."

"Then _A tale of two cities _is a must to read_. _I believe there is a copy here." Tessa rose up from the sofa and vanished behind a bookshelf. She returned with a book in her hands. Her serious face was replaced and in her eyes were glimpses of excitement, this girl really loved reading .

"This one." She handed the book to Emanuel and he took it. He clasped his hands around it like it was something valuable. A thing he could use to create a bond between him and Tessa.

"If you love it, then I must read it."

Tessa smiled. Emanuel could not help himself about how much he enjoyed her smiling at his words.

* * *

**Any thoughts on this chapter? Let me know :)**


	5. Doubts and Thoughts

"Henry?" Charlotte asked.

She was in their bedroom with him and he was laying on the bed. He seemed to be completely absorbed in reading a book.

Charlotte had loved Henry ever since she had meet him and he had told her that he felt the same way but at times Charlotte doubted his words. A voice in her head would sometimes tell her that Henry only married Charlotte to use her position as the head of the Institute.

Even people around her, the members of the Council for example would claim that Henry only agreed to marry her so he'd use the Institute for his works.

Others claimed the other way around, that Charlotte's only interest in Henry was to marry him and lead the Institute herself under the impression that they lead it together. But she knew that was all lies and she loved Henry but was that love returned?

"Henry, darling?" Charlotte tried again, but no response.

"HENRY?" This time she raised her voice.

Henry twitched, and looked around the room, probably because he'd not notice his wife's presence in the room.

"Yes, honey?" Henry asked her.

"What do you think of Leo Heultman?" she asked. "The Consul sent me a letter that Benedict said that Leo could help us with our search for Mortmain, but it is not in Benedict's nature to help us."

Henry looked at his wife with a wondering look.

"I do not know. He seemed nice and very interested in my work, but why would Benedict want someone to look into my work."

"That's what I thought, Benedict never particularly showed any interest in your work. Only that time when your phosphor didn't work at de-Quincy's party."

Charlotte got up from her armchair and placed herself next to Henry on the bed. It was the place she preferred to lay down and think. The view from the bed showed the river Thames and the people walking by, through a window. Looking out at the people working with their jobs or the passenger-byers going to their daily errands made her think and gave her ideas to fix problems whenever they occurred.

This time it was finding Mortmain in two weeks. But no useful ideas came up in her head. All the stress stopped her from coming up with new plans.

"I'm going to ask Will and Jem to find more information on Leo Heultman." Charlotte exclaimed.

"I think it's a great idea, Lottie." Henry said. He had returned to reading his book but this time he listened. That put a smile on Charlotte's face which was followed by a big yawn. She just realized how tiring all this searching was for her. It strained her limits.

"The hour is late and I am tired, Henry. Won't you put aside the book so we could sleep?"

Henry looked up;

"Sure, I'll put down the book. But I would actually not mind if we could do something else than just sleeping. Do you remember the other night? It was lovely."

Charlotte laughed, nodded and then kissed him. Maybe she wasn't so tired after all.

* * *

Tessa was sitting in her room alone with dim candles lighting up the room. Her mind was full of thoughts that rushed back and forth. In her hands she held a copy of the famous Charlotte Brontë's _Jane Eyre. _Tessa had always saved a special place for Jane in her heart. She was indeed one of Tessa's favourite heroins.

Despite her difficult life, Jane had never let her kindness leave her heart and she remained strong whenever an obstacle came in her way. In the mere end of the book, when Jane is reunited with her beloved Rochester, Tessa could not help but smile when she had read that very part.

It had made her heart warm and Tessa had hoped that she could one day find love that was as strong as Jane and Rochester's love.

Tessa decided that she had enough of reading and put the book aside. After having finishing the book now Tessa did not smile at the end and her heart was not warm because of love. She did not feel as if there was any love left in the world.

Ever since Tessa had arrived to England and the Dark sisters had kidnapped her, her silly dreams and hopes of building up a new start in a new continent with her brother- Nate, were gone. It was time to grow up and realize things were not always going to be fine.

But when she was stabbed in the back by her own brother, she had grieved. Her whole life consisted of taking care of Nate and loving him despite his flaws. But apparently it did not matter to Nate, he had still betrayed her. It made Tessa wonder if Nate had cared for her at all during their upbringing.

That was another blow to her and she was forced, again, to let go of something that once was precious to her. First her dreams and now her brother.

These horrible events she could manage with. But when Will gave her a foul offer, it made her feel less of a human than she already viewed herself as. For Tessa everything got shattered into a million pieces by his word. Now Tessa was stuck with picking them back up again, only to mend them back together.

She hated the fact that even if Will was so horrible towards her, she still loved him. Sometimes she wondered why Will could not be more like Jem.

Jem was the one to help her pick up those little pieces, it was him that made Tessa cope with being in the same room as Will. Why could Will not be more...like the caring and kind Jem. Even Leo, a man Tessa had just encountered had treated her better than Will did. There was something about Will's behaviour Tessa felt was abnormal. Either Will must be a very cruel person or a very confused person. Tessa did not know which one of these he was and it kept her up all night up, thinking.

* * *

**Uhhm, I'm sorry this chapter doesn't have any of Emanuel in it but I wanted to put a little more of the other characters in the center for a while. But next chapter will have Emanuel in it, I promise! Anyway, I've also had a lot to do this week and I'm still a little sick(sigh) but if there are any questions or comments go ahead, I won't mind. I love it when people write back! :)**


	6. Laughs and a Journey

**Hi again! These forthcoming chapters will now include some of the book's real conversations and events, but I change somewhat and the dialogues won't always look the same.**

* * *

"Alyosius Starkweather is the most stubborn, hypocritical, obstinate, degenerate-

Charlotte stopped midway to contain her anger. Her face was hard and her lips formed into thin lines. This morning she had gathered everyone to the drawing room.

Emanuel sat next Henry with a book in his arms. Two days had parted since Emanuel's arrival and he had the chance to meet the rest of Shadow-hunters, including James. His first impression of James was that he looked sick and it showed all too much. His silver hair especially brought it out, there was in reality not much to say about him. Only that James was more polite than William and Jessamine but Emanuel noticed when people did not enjoy being around him. James seemed to harbour this feeling when they had meet each other.

He had also been informed by Tessa about what was happening and what their plans were. Charlotte wrote to Alyosius Starkweather from the York Institute to receive more facts about Mortmain because he'd known of Mortmain's parents. Unfortunately for the Shadow-hunters, this very morning Charlotte informed them he refused to meet her.

Obviously Emanuel knew the man had noting crucial to come up with since his master had been very careful about cleaning up his past. It made Emanuel very uncomfortable to hear everyone around him speak of ill of his master. He wanted to speak up and tell them how horrible the Clave actually was for what they had done. Emanuel had also realized it was hard for him to play the role he was given. To even be in the same room as them gave Emanuel distressing feelings which were hard to ignore. The only ones that Emanuel felt comfortable with were Henry and, especially Tessa since she wasn't even a Shadow-hunter.

"Would you like a thesaurus?" William said. Emanuel always felt annoyed whenever he opened his mouth. The way William had straggled up his boots on the ottoman and leaned back on the armchairs with a grin on his face. "You seem to be running out of words."

"And is he really _degenerate_?" James asked with raised eyebrows. "I mean, the old codger's almost ninety,-surely past real deviancy."

"I don't know," said William. "You'd be surprised at what some of the old fellows over at Devil Tavern get up to."

"Nothing anyone you know might get up to would surprise us, William." Jessamine said, lying on chaise lounge. She had a damp cloth over her forehead because of a headache.

Tessa had told Emanuel that Tessa herself, Jessamine and Sophie-the maid were enquired by the Council to be trained by the Lightwood brothers; another Shadow-hunter family. They had to undergo the training to defend themselves. Tessa spoke of how she did not enjoy it and Jessamine was not delighted when she heard of it. She had been missing the training because of her headache.

Emanuel thought it was to perceptible how Jessamine pretended to have a headache so she could skip the training.

"Darling," Henry began while walking to the desk where Charlotte was sitting. "Are you quite all-right? You look a bit - splotchy."

Emanuel saw red patches had broken out on Charlotte face.

"I think it's charming," said William. "I've heard polka dots are the last word in fashion this season."

"I do believe you are working far too hard, Mrs. Branwell." Emanuel exclaimed and put aside the book. "Please, I think it's only right if you hand some of your work to me. After all I'm here to help."

"Please, call me Charlotte and there isn't much you can do." She muttered.

Emanuel had tried to help in vain so he returned to his book and let them continue discussing.

He had finished the last chapter when he overheard Charlotte complimenting Tessa for her good idea.

"Oh, _what_?" required Jessamine. "What idea?"

Tessa explained how she could use her power if something in his possession got in her hands and research in the old man's memories.

"Then, you'll accompany us to Yorkshire." James said. Emanuel perceived they had been talking about giving the old man a visit. Damn, he should have stopped them. Even if Emanuel knew Starkweather had nothing of importance, any little lead that helped them to come closer to his master's hidings place would ruin everything.

"She hardly needs to accompany us." William began, "We can retrieve an object and bring it to her."

"I could accompany you." Emanuel burst out. All eyes in the room fell on him. "It would do you well if I came along. We could say I'm visiting the York Institute for an educational purpose."

Charlotte's eyes studied Emanuel. "I'm not so sure...", she said.

"I have been here for three days and you haven't given me any task or jobs to perform. This job would suit me perfect."

"Why not?" William said. Emanuel was surprised to hear William defend him.

"Fine. You can go with Jem and Will, it might be better that way." Charlotte gave in. There was not satisfaction when she uttered it but Emanuel did not care at the moment. It was significant for him to go with them to York.

"What of Tessa then?" James commented. "Tessa said before that she needs to use something that has strong associations for the wearer," he continued. "If what we select turns out to be insufficient-

He got interrupted by William;

"She also said she could use a nail clipping or a strand of hair."

"So you're suggesting we take the train up to York, meet a ninety-year-old man, leap on him, and yank out his hair? I'm sure the Clave will be ecstatic."

Jessamine opened her mouth to say something but Emanuel beat her to it.

"Mr. Carstairs is right. It would be better and much more safer if Tessa came with us." Emanuel uttered.

"It's up to Tessa." Charlotte said, she held her hands up. "It's her power you're asking to use; it should be her decision."

"Did you say we'd be taking the train?" Tessa asked. Her eyes meet James's.

"The Great Northern runs trains out of Kings Cross all day long," he answered. "It's only a matter of hours."

"Then, I'll come." Tessa said. "I've never been on a train."

William glared at Tessa and said; "That's it? You're coming because you've never been on a train before?"

"We all have our reasons." Emanuel said out of nowhere.

"Yes," she said, ignoring Emanuel's comment. "I should like to ride in one, very much."

"Trains are great dirty smoky things," said William. "You won't like it."

Tessa was unmoved. "I won't know until I try it, will I?"

"I've never swum naked in the Thames, but I know I wouldn't like it."

"But think how entertaining it would be for sightseers," said Tessa. Both Emanuel and James grinned at her words.

"Anyway, it doesn't matter. I wish to go, and I shall. When do we leave?"

William rolled his eyes. Emanuel hated it when he did that.

"Tomorrow morning. That way we'll arrive well before dark."

"I'll have to send Aloysius a message saying to expect you," muttered Charlotte. She did not look too happy about it but she picked up her pen.

She looked at them and asked; "Is this a dreadful idea? I—I feel as if I cannot be sure."

Emanuel stared at Tessa. He comprehended that Tessa appeared to sympathize with Charlotte. She must have grown attached to her, after all Charlotte took her in and helped her. Emanuel understood why Tessa felt sad for her for the moment. Charlotte looked exhausted and insecure. He was the same when it came to him and Mortmain.

Henry answered her, putting his hands over her shoulder.

"The only alternative seems to be doing nothing, dearest Charlotte, and doing nothing, I find, rarely accomplishes anything. Besides, what could go wrong?" Henry said.

"Oh, by the Angel, I wish you hadn't asked that." Charlotte snapped back and bent down to write.

* * *

The very next day, Emanuel, Tessa, William and James found themselves rushing towards the King Cross's station. He had been here before but it was years ago when he travelled to the country side with Mortmain, those days quickly went away when he reached the age of fifteen.

The weather cursed them because it rained heavily. When they went to the station, Emanuel immediately wanted to leave. People were everywhere. Mothers lecturing their children for disappearing, working-men hurrying past, not minding if they bumped into someone. Worst of all were the conductors, they blew in their pipes for the train's departure. It sounded horrible in Emanuel's ears. William had disappeared and left Emanuel with Tessa and James. James was helping Tessa with her umbrella.

Suddenly a middle-aged women trotted too close to Emanuel. Her shoulders hit his and she hastily stopped. Behind her stood a young girl with hazel eyes and carried a dark-blue umbrella, she seemed to be the same age as Tessa. Emanuel guessed it was her daughter.

"Oh, my apologies. It is very crowded in here, isn't it?" The middle-aged women said to Emanuel.

"Nothing to worry about." He quickly said.

She gave him a smile and strolled off. The young girl followed after her, though she still had her gaze fixed on Emanuel. Then she said something to her mother who turned her head and gazed at Emanuel. The middle-aged women shook her head and continued walking.

William had returned but with a porter this time, the porter had snapped;

"Why are you still here? Come along quickly. You'll miss the train if you don't hurry up. It won't wait all day, you know."

The four of them began to walk to the departure platform. There was even more people here, they had fight their way through the crowd. Tessa held her hat with one hand and in the other she held James's hand. Emanuel followed behind. At the end of the of platform, where the tracks were cut off, he could see the clouded grey sky. Emanuel disliked this kind of weather. It was so dull.

* * *

"Did you bring anything to read on the journey?" William asked Tessa when they'd settled themselves in their compartment. He sat on the opposite side of Tessa, facing her. James was sitting next to her and Emanuel got the seat he did not want. The one next to William.

"No." She uttered. "I haven't come across anything I particularly wanted to read lately." She turned her head to Emanuel. "Speaking of books, have you finished _A tale of two cities_?"

Emanuel thought of the book. It was on the bed-stand, he had barely read it.

"No, I have not. There haven't been enough time for me to finish it." Emanuel said and felt a little bad, he should have read it. William snorted at his words.

"Haven't any of you ever been in the countryside before?" asked James to both Tessa and Emanuel. He was surprised that James showed any interest in Emanuel.

Tessa shook her head.

"I don't remember ever leaving New York, except to go to Coney Island, and that isn't really countryside. I suppose I must have passed through some of it when I came from Southampton with the Dark Sisters, but it was dark, and they kept the curtains across the windows." She had taken off her hat and let it sit on the seat next to her and then she continued to speak;

"But I feel as if I have seen it before in books. I keep imagining I'll see Thornfield Hall rising up beyond the trees, or Wuthering Heights perched on a stony crag—

"Wuthering Heights is in Yorkshire," William interrupted her. "And we're nowhere near Yorkshire yet. We haven't even reached Grantham. And there's nothing that impressive about Yorkshire. Hills and dales, no proper mountains like we have in Wales."

"I've been in Wales." Emanuel said. It was stupid of him to say that, but he could not come up with anything else. All of them looked at him surprised. Tessa leaned forward.

"Where in Wales? In the countryside or in the cities?" She asked.

"I do not remember, it was a long time ago. All I remember is green hills and lakes. It was quite spectacular. A lot more greener and beautiful than were I lived. In Helsingborg the most interesting place is the harbor."

"Yn unrhyw le yn well nag yma." William said, it was probably Welsh. It came out sounding like gibberish for Emanuel.

"What does that mean?" Tessa asked.

"Anywhere is better than here." William replied.

"Do you miss Wales?" Tessa wondered. She'd told Emanuel of William, that he'd left his parents to pursue the Shadow-hunter life. Emanuel knew he couldn't see his family any more because of the Clave's pathetic rules. It seemed absurd that marrying a mundane could mean the end of your Shadow-hunter life. It was understandable why Mortmain disliked them so much.

"What's to miss? Sheep and singing," he said. "And the ridiculous language. Fe hoffwn i fod mor feddw, fyddai ddim yn cofio fy enw."

"What does that mean?"

"It means, I wish to get so drunk I no longer remember my own name. Quite useful."

Emanuel laughed and said. "Something I will keep in mind, if I shall return to Wales one day."

William grinned. "There are others things I could teach you to say- for example if you ever encounter a saloon with beautiful women and you'd like to-

"You don't sound very patriotic," said Tessa, pressing her lips together. "Weren't you just reminiscing about the mountains?"

"Patriotic?" William had a look of self-satisfaction. "I'll tell you what's patriotic. In honor of my birthplace, I've the dragon of Wales tattooed on my—

"You're in a charming temper, aren't you, William?" James interrupted. "Remember, Starkweather can't stand Charlotte, so if this is the mood you're in—"

"I promise to charm the dickens out of him," William expressed while readjusting himself. "I shall charm him with such force that when I am done, he will be left lying limply on the ground, trying to remember his own name."

"I doubt he'll be impressed. He's ninety." Tessa said, she looked out the window at the landscape.

"If you have enough charms, age will not play any part." Emanuel said. He tilted his head back. He began to enjoy the journey.

"Precisely." William sounded pleased with Emanuel defending him. James crinkled his nose, he seemed to be annoyed with William.

"Don't worry, James. I do take this seriously. I don't want to see that squinty-eyed Benedict Lightwood and his hideous sons in charge of the Institute any more than anyone else does."

"They're not hideous." Tessa said.

Will raised his eyebrows. "Excuse me?"

"Gideon and Gabriel," said Tessa. "They're really quite good-looking, not hideous at all." Emanuel had not meet them so he did not know what they looked like.

"I'm referring to," said William, "of the pitch-black inner depths of their souls."

Tessa snickered. "And what colour do you suppose the inner depths of your soul are, Will Herondale?"

"Mauve," said Will.

"It suits you." Emanuel expressed, while clasping his hands.

Tessa glared over at James for help, but he only smiled with amusement.

"Perhaps we should discuss strategy," James suggested. "Starkweather hates Charlotte but knows that she sent us. So how to worm our way into his good graces?"

"Tessa can utilize her feminine wiles," said William. "Charlotte said he enjoys a pretty face."

"How did Charlotte explain my presence?" Tessa enquired, she ignored William's compliment.

"She didn't really; she just gave our names. She was quite curt," said William. "I think it falls to us to concoct a plausible story."

"We can't say I'm a Shadowhunter; he'll know immediately that I'm not. No Marks."

"And no warlock mark. He'll think she's a mundane," said James. "She could Change, but . . ."

"Perhaps we could say she's a mad maiden aunt who insists on chaperoning us everywhere." William questioned, his eyes on Tessa.

"No, it won't work. Even if the idea is tantalizing." Emanuel said.

"Yes, she doesn't really look like either of us, does she? Perhaps she's a girl who's fallen madly in love with me and persists in following me wherever I go."

"My talent is shape-shifting, Will, not acting," said Tessa. Emanuel and James laughed out loud.

"She had the better of you there, Will," James said. "It does happen sometimes, doesn't it? Perhaps I should introduce Tessa as my fiancée. We can tell mad old Aloysius that her Ascension is under way."

"Ascension?" Tessa asked.

James said; "When a Shadow-hunter wishes to marry a mundane—"

"But I thought that was forbidden?" Tessa inquired. Emanuel listened closely. He did not know so much of the Shadow-hunter culture. Mortmain did not teach him about his heritage.

"It is. Unless the Mortal Cup is used to turn that mundane into a Shadow-hunter. It is not a common result, but it does happen. If the Shadow-hunter in question applies to the Clave for an Ascension for their partner, the Clave is required to consider it for at least three months. Meanwhile, the mundane embarks on a course of study to learn about Shadowhunter culture—"

James's voice got exceeded of the train's whistles.

"It's not a bad idea, I suppose," said Tessa. "I do know rather a lot; I've finished nearly all of the Codex."

The Codex, Emanuel wondered. What was that?

"It would seem reasonable that I brought you with me," said James. "As a possible Ascender, you might want to learn about Institutes other than the one in London." He looked at Will. "What do you think?"

"It seems as fine an idea as any." William was looking thorough the windows. It showed houses located far from each other with trees and fields separating them. They looked distant and the people living there probably did not have so much interaction with others.

"And you, Leo? What do you think?" Tessa turned her head to Emanuel.

"It's the best one we can come up with." He replied. She must have asked him so he'd not feel left out. She was kind, one of the traits many people lacked.

"How many Institutes are there, other than the one in London?" Tessa asked.

James counted them on his fingers. "In Britain? London, York, one in Cornwall—near Tintagel—one in Cardiff, and one in Edinburgh. They're all smaller, though, and report to the London Institute, which in turn reports to Idris."

"Gideon Lightwood said he was at the Institute in Madrid. What on earth was he doing there?"

"Faffing about, most likely," William said.

"Once we finish our training, at eighteen," James explained. "We're encouraged to travel, to spend time at other Institutes, to experience something of Shadow-hunter culture in new places. There are always different techniques, local tricks to be learned. Gideon was away for only a few months. If Benedict called him back so soon, he must think that his acquisition of the Institute is assured." James bit his lips and looked worried.

"Benedict seems to be a very self-absorbed person and from my experience people like him, often take others for granted. One of the people he's taking for granted is Charlotte, she's a fighter, I can tell that. She won't lose the Institute. Especially not when you're helping her." Emanuel said and straightened his posture.

James's face lit up a little and so did Tessa's.

"Your words make you seem as if you're an optimist." William muttered, while covering his face with his hands.

"Are you all right?" Tessa asked, sounding worried. He was quiet before he said;

"Too much to drink last night." Tessa and James looked at each other with wrinkled eyebrows. Emanuel did not understand why William talked as if drinking until you are drunk was something one did every night and was completely fine.

"Well," James said, "if only there were a Rune of Sobriety."

"Maybe one day there will be." Emanuel said melancholic.

"Yes. As if that's possible." William said and placed his hands on his legs. "If we might return to discussing your plan, James. It's a good one save one thing. If she is meant to be affianced to you, Tessa will need a ring."

"I had thought of that," James said and reached out to his pocket, taking out a silver ring. Emanuel leaned forward to view the ring. It showed crenellations of a castle.

"The Carstairs family ring," James said. "If you would . . ." Tessa took it from him and put it on her finger, it fitted perfectly.

"It fits you well, Tessa." Emanuel said. She smiled.

"Charlotte doesn't wear a wedding ring." She uttered. "I hadn't realized Shadow-hunters did."

"We don't," said Will. "It is customary to give a girl your family ring when you become engaged, but the actual wedding ceremony involves exchanging runes instead of rings. One on the arm, and one over the heart."

"Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave." James said. "Song of Solomon."

"I don't think it's the best way to express your love to someone. It doesn't sound very...nice. Or happy. " Emanuel muttered. Tessa nodded to show she agreed with him.

"The coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame." William said poetically.

"I always thought females found the idea of jealousy romantic. Men, fighting over you . . ."

* * *

They continued to speak while the train drove past the countryside. Emanuel noticed he was more comfortable and at ease while talking with them. Though he still felt annoyed with William's snappy comments and arrogance. He also managed to learn a great deal about Shadow-hunter from listening to James and William.

But Emanuel started to feel tired, he had not gotten a well rested sleep. Nightmares of losses and grief visited him. The dreams often began with a family, enjoying a picnic, with the sun's rays warming them. Then in the dream, suddenly black horses with hooded riders interrupted the family and kills everyone. Emanuel always wake up sweaty and warm with gasping breaths as if he run miles.

The thought of sleep and the trains' gentle wobbles seemed wonderful to Emanuel as he dozed off.

* * *

**A long chapter for you today! But it's only because the next chapter will be updated, Monday the 14th of April instead of Sunday. **

**Any comments on this? Do you think I should write completely different dialogues than taking bits and pieces from the book?**


	7. Recognition

"Leo, we have arrived."

Emanuel opened his eyes and was faced with Tessa's grey eyes. She had furrowed her eyebrows and looked concerned. It made her appear older than she was.

"Are you well? You do look as if a little rest would do you good." Tessa said while Emanuel brought himself up, he had declined down the seat so he'd been half-sitting and half-lying. It must have looked funny.

"He has been sleeping, don't you think he should already feel better?" William stated and put his hat on. James came into their compartment, carrying the luggage.

"Are you ready to leave?" James asked. Emanuel nodded and stood up but almost tripped and grabbed the seat. He felt a little light-headed because he'd gotten up quickly. Tessa furrowed her eyebrows more seeing him almost falling.

"Need someone to support yourself on, Leo? Might do you good if you had something to rest on. I'm quite the steady person." William said with a grin and offered his arm. Emanuel found that the joke was rather offensive and did not smile back.

"I can stand up straight myself." Emanuel would have sworn at him and insulted him but it was just some hours ago they had gotten along. It would be stupid to ruin it. William did also have a very bitter humour that did not amuse everyone.

The four of them left the train. People had already exited the train and the station had a considerable amount of people but it looked the same as the one in London, only a little smaller. The conductor blew his whistle as the train left behind them. When they'd stepped out under the dark sky, Emanuel saw the rail-road clocks showed that it was six o'clock. The air was thick as if it'd rained a great deal, luckily the rain had stopped at their arrival in Yorkshire.

"Nephilim?" Emanuel turned around and saw an old man with thick white eyebrows and dressed in sailor's boots had put his hand on William's shoulder. "Is it you?" He had an thick accent.

"Dear God," William exclaimed while putting his hand over his heart. "It's the Ancient Mariner who stoppeth one of three."

"Ah'm 'ere at t'bequest of Aloysius Starkweather. Art t'lads he wants or not? Ah've not got all night to stand about." Emanuel had trouble understanding what he was saying.

"Important appointment with an albatross? Don't let us keep you." William said.

"What my mad friend means to say," James quickly took over. "Is that we are indeed Shadowhunters of the London Institute and it is Charlotte Branwell who sent us. Who are you?"

"Gottshall, me family's been serving the Shadowhunters of the York Institute for nigh on three centuries now. I can see through tha' glamours, young ones. Save for this one." The man said and then looked at Tessa. "If there's a glamour on the girl, it's summat I've never seen before."

"She's a mundane—an Ascendant," James said. "Soon to be my wife."

He grabbed Tessa's hand to show Grottshall the ring he'd given her earlier. "The Council said it would be beneficial for her to see another Institute besides London's."

"Has Mr. Starkweather been told aught about this?" Gottshall enquired.

"It was Mrs. Branwell who wrote the letter, not us." Emanuel said to him. Grottshall eyes turned to him, he squinted at the sight of Emanuel.

"Then I hope she told him something for yer sakes." Grottshull said and sighed. "If there's a man in t' world who hates surprises more than Aloysius Starkweather, Ah've got to meet the bast—beggar. Begging your pardon, miss."

Emanuel cleared his throat and said;

"Well then, shall we see what she's written in the letter?"

* * *

Emanuel was quiet the whole journey to Starkweather's home. James kept talking, he told them about Yorkshire. Emanuel barely listened, instead he glared out the window. Tessa was right, he felt incredible tired even if he had slept during the train ride.

The carriage which they rode in stopped.

"Here we are. The Yorkshire Institute." Grottshull shouted from outside of the carriage.

William and James stepped out first, behind them followed Emanuel. He offered his arm to Tessa, she gladly accepted it and smiled to him. "Thank you, Leo."

"It's a gentlemen's duty to offer his support to a lady." Emanuel said with a smile. From the corner of his eyes Emanuel noticed that William had stared at them. He looked rather jealous.

In front of them stood a church. Grass had grown on its enclosing walls and it looked nowhere near as grand as the Institute in London. To think Emanuel considered the London Institute to be less grand than he'd expected. This building did not live up to his exceptions either.

* * *

A man in Shadow-hunter gear was waiting for them, his beard and hair was grey, his face covered with wrinkles. Though he must have been over the age of eightyeight, even ninety, he stood tall with a straight back. He reminded Emanuel of someone with a short fuse and arrogance.

"Young Herondale, are you? Half-mundane, half-Welsh, and the worst traits of both, I've heard." The man said to William as he had stepped forward.

"Diolch." William said.

"James Carstairs." Starkweather turned his head to James. He had a accent as well but not as thick his servant. Emanuel could understand what words Starkweather was saying. "Another Institute brat. I've half a mind to tell the lot of you to go to blazes. That upstart bit of a girl, that Charlotte Fairchild, foisting you all on me with nary a by-your-leave. None of that family ever had a bit o' manners. I could do without her father, and I can do without-"

His eyes squinted at the sight of Emanuel. He took one step closer to him. Starkweather viewed him. "You remind me of someone."

"Perhaps you have met someone from my family. The Heultman from Sweden." Emanuel asked. He was surprised and startled that Starkweather recognised him, Emanuel had never met this man.

"I have never heard of the family." Starkweather said. Emanuel heard William coughing to cover up a laugh. "Must have confused you with someone, I have met many people during my lifetime-" Starkweather glared at Tessa, his mouth half-opened with wide eyes.

"This is Tessa Gray, sir." William said. "She is a mundane girl but she is the betrothed to Carstairs here. She's an Ascendant."

A mundane, you say?"

"An Ascendant," William said as charming and polite as he could. "She has been a faithful friend to the Institute in London, and we hope to welcome her into our ranks soon."

"Well, times have—Yes, I suppose then—" He took another glace at Tessa and he turned to Gottshall, who was carrying their luggage.

"Get Cedric and Andrew to help you bring our guests' belongings up to their rooms," Starkweather said. "And do tell Ellen to instruct Cook to set four extra places for dinner tonight. I may have forgotten to remind her that we would have guests."

The servant gave Starkweather a nod before he left, muttering under his breath.

"Well, come along, then. You needn't stand there. Follow me and I'll show you to your rooms." Starkweather muttered.

* * *

**What do you think of this chapter? Please review :) Do you think I should change what happens in the book completely and do everything my own way or is this good?**


	8. Newcomer

**What happened to reviews, guys? :( If there's something you think I should change or anything like that, just comment! I don't mind it.**

* * *

The plate consisted of a brown, messy and squidgy substance. Emanuel did not feel like he was hungry at all when the old servant woman placed the meal in front of him. He was disgusted and so were the others, by the look of their faces.

The servant had also set a plate for the master of the house, but he had not shown up so for a moment they could speak freely. There were not any servants in the dining room as well and if they'd speak loudly, Emanuel was sure the servants wouldn't even hear, for they were probably all over the age of eighty.

"By the angel, what is this stuff?" William said, as he scooped up a bit of the food and let it drip back into the plate with his spoon. It looked repulsive.

"I think they've mistaken our food to the pig's food." Emanuel snorted out. He was annoyed to be here, Stark-weather made it very clear that he did not want them there and Emanuel did not want to spend another minute at this tedious and unpleasant place.

"It's a shame for us, but the pigs can laugh themselves lucky. They'll have a luxurious meal today!" Tessa laughed and everyone else joined in.

* * *

Later the very same evening Emanuel found himself in the room he was given. The room was chilly, so he had hurled himself into the bed, sweeping himself in the blankets. Even so, he still felt cold. It must have made him look like a weak and sick child but no one was there to see him. So why bother caring how you looked like. It was exceptionally quiet, Emanuel thought. He could hear his pocket watch ticking.

_Tick, took. _

_Tick, took._

_Tick, took._

He removed it from his clothing to prospect it. It fitted in his hand, he noticed while weighing the pocket watch. Around, it was clear gold but the middle was a little glass window that showed the clock itself, on the top was a ring where the chain followed. He opened it to view it closer. Something, presumably words with another alphabet were ingrained on the edges. While examining it, Emanuel realised it must have been an exotic language, maybe even Persian. Why would his father's pocket watch have Persian words ingrained? Was there something about his parents Mortmain had not told him? Emanuel made himself remember that the minute they'd returned to London, he would a write a letter to his master.

The dinner bell rang and Emanuel forced himself to climb out of bed. From the outside of the room came murmuring voices. Emanuel opened the door and saw Tessa and William talking to each other. Tessa's eyes were lit with interest. The way she looked at William reminded him of when a student looks to it's teacher. There was such admiration in her eyes. Emanuel thought about what Tessa had said to him about William. That he was a tortured soul. When looking at them, Emanuel understood their behaviour. They were _in love._ Emanuel glared at them, William had offered his hand to Tessa, who had accepted it. He followed quietly behind them.

* * *

"What is this?" William said, viewing the bite of food he had speared.

"A parsnip?" James suggested.

"Maybe it is an unknown part of an unknown vegetable?" Tessa inclined. She drank from her wine and grimaced. Nothing they were served was good, Emanuel thought with distaste.

"A parsnip planted in Satan's own garden. I don't suppose there's a dog I could feed it to." William muttered.

"I thought Leo said there were pigs here." Tessa said.

I'm looking at one, Emanuel thought while looking at William. " I was joking, I haven't seen any pigs here."

"Oh." Tessa said while drinking from her wine again, something she regretted; "It's extremely sour."

"I do not think anything here is edible." Emanuel commented. "Or drinkable."

"Oh, dear. And I was so hungry too." Tessa said, putting her fork down.

"There's always the dinner rolls," William said and pointed to a basket. "Though I warn you, they're as hard as stones. You could use them to kill black beetles, if any beetles bother you in the middle of the night."

William moved his plate to his side and cheerfully rhymed;

"_There once was a lass from New York_

_Who found herself hungry in York._

_But the bread was like rocks,_

_The parsnips shaped like-"_

"You can't rhyme _York_ with _York_" Tessa interrupted him and pouted her lips. It made her look sweet, Emanuel smiled at the sight of it. "It's cheating."

James nodded and said;

"She's right, you know. Especially with 'fork' being so obviously the correct choice-"

"Eating supper, I see." Stark-weateher's figure threw a shadow over the walls. He stood at the door.

"Mr. Herondale, Mr. Carstairs, Mr Heultman, Miss..."

"It's Gray, my name is Theresa Gray." She said and strained her posture.

"Right, right." He did not apologize, it with would have been seen rude but given his character, Tessa did not seem as if she cared at all. The old man seated himself next to Emanuel.

Stark-weather ignored his plate with food and began speaking;

"No doubt your young miss will be pleased to know I've buckled to her demands and searched the archives all day and besides, it's lucky, she is, that my father never threw anything out. And the moment I saw the papers, I remembered." He stopped speaking to take a sip from his wine. "Eighty-nine years, and I never forget a thing. You tell old Wayland that when he talks about replacing me."

"We have no control over Wayland's actions, sir." William said. "He does not listen to us, he doesn't even listen to what Charlotte has to say." He pressed his lips together.

"But if we will have the chance of meeting him, we will speak with him." Tessa added quickly, Stark-weather turned to her, his eyes had the same colour as Tessa's eyes. Although Tessa's were more light-grey like the colour of the ocean. Then he took another sip of the wine.

"Why do I always keep forgetting how much I hate this wine?" He murmured.

"What is in the box, might I ask?" James said, looking at Stark-weather.

"Ah, right." He reached forward and began pulling up papers from a box seated on the table. "What we have here is an application for Reparations on behalf of two warlocks. John and Anne Shade. A married couple." He continued searching through the papers;

"Now, here's the odd bit." The old man said, reading from the papers. "The filing was done by their son, Axel Hollingworth Mortmain, twenty-two years old. Now, of course warlocks are barren-"

Emanuel's heart began pumping. His master's parents were _warlocks_? He had always been told that they were Shadow-hunters and that they had settled away from the life of Shadow-hunters.

"Their son was adopted," James said. "Warlocks can not have children."

"They shouldn't be allowed." Stark-weather said, he ate from his plate. "It's like giving a human child to wolves to raise. Before the Accords-"

Emanuel stared at Stark-weather with loathing He did not like this old man at all.

"If there are any clues to his whereabouts," James inclined and clasped his hands together. "We need to know because there is too little time on our hands."

"Very well, very well. There's little information about your precious Mortmain in here. More about the parents. It seems suspicion fell on them when it was discovered that the male warlock, John Shade, was in possession of the Book of the White. Quite a powerful spell book, you understand; disappeared from the London Institute's library under suspicious circumstances back in 1752. The book specializes in

binding and unbinding spells—tying the soul to the body, or untying it, as the case may be. Turned out the warlock was trying to animate things. He was digging up corpses or buying them off medical students and replacing the more damaged bits with mechanisms. Then trying to bring them to life. Necromancy—very much against the Law. And we didn't have the Accords in those days. An Enclave group swept in and slaughtered both warlocks."

Emanuel clasped his fork in confusion. This was all a lie. Mortmain had said that his parents were innocent. The way Stark-weather spoke of Mortmain and his past angered Emanuel, yet at the same time he was confused. He needed to speak with his master now. Emanuel began tapping his foot, something he always did when he was nervous. It was something Mortmain would always berate Emanuel for.

"And the child?" William asked, turning his gaze to the old man. "Mortmain?"

"No hide nor hair of him," Stark-weather responded. "We searched, but nothing. Assumed he was dead, till one day he turned up, cheeky as you please, demanding reparations. Even his address-"

"His address?" William said, he raised his eyebrows. "In London?"

"Nay. Right here in Yorkshire." Stark-weather said, he pointed his finger at the page. "Ravenscar Manor. A massive old pile up north from here. Been abandoned now, I think, for decades. Now that I think about it, can't figure how he could've afforded it in the first place. But it's not where the Shades lived."

"Even so," James said. "It is excellent starting point for us to go looking. If it's been abandoned since his tenancy, there may be things he left behind. In fact, if we're lucky, he may well still be using the place."

"Let's leave in the morning." William added with a glimpse in his eyes.

Emanuel listened, still in shock. He should do something, even if the hiding place they were going to in the morning was wrong. But he had just found out Mortmain had lied to him.

"I suppose, if you'd find anything there. Most of the Shades' belongings were taken for spoils." Stark-weather said nonchalantly, setting his elbows on the table.

"Spoils." Tessa said with an empty glance in her eyes.

"Spoils?" Emanuel asked straight out. Everyone's heads turned to his direction and Emanuel forget about Mortmain for a moment.

"You know, when a Downworlder breaks the law, a Shadow-hunter has the right to claim their belongings." William said.

"I know." Emanuel said, he took another sip of the wine. It really was disgusting. But he needed to drink something and this was the only option.

"Spoils," Stark-weather uttered. "Do those interest you, girl? We've got quite a collection here in the Institute. Puts the London collection to shame, or so I'm told." He stood up, nearly knocking over his chair. "Come along. I'll show them to you, and tell you the rest of this sorry tale, though there's not that much more to it."

Emanuel faced Tessa, her head turned from James to William, whom both of them had stood up and followed after Stark-weather. Tessa nodded to Emanuel, the two of them walking behind the trio.

"What kind of spoils do you think he has got here?" Emanuel managed to say to Tessa, one could hear the trembling in his voice.

"I am not sure, hopefully something tasteful. But, the man himself is not very tasteful, is he?" She whispered back to Emanuel before she took a deep breath.

Stark-weather's voice echoed in the surprisingly long hall;

"I frankly never thought much of the Reparations, it encourages Downworlder's uppity, thinking they have a right to get something out of us. All the work we do and no thanks, just hands held out for more, more, more. Don't you think so, gentlemen?"

Emanuel just lost more respect each time the old man opened his mouth to say something.

"Ungrateful bastards, that's what they are." William murmured, even though he seemed not to be listening to Stark-weather.

"Absolutely!" Stark-weather shouted. Tessa glared over to Emanuel and rolled her eyes. "Not that one should use such language in front of a lady, of course. As I was saying, this Mortmain was protesting the death of Anne Shade, the male warlock's wife—said she'd had nothing to do with her husband's projects, hadn't known about them, he claimed. Her death was undeserved. Wanted a trial of those guilty of what he called her 'murder,' and his parents' belongings back."

"Were you there?" Tessa enquired.

"Where I was? What do you mean?" Stark-weather asked.

"You said an Enclave group was sent out to deal with the Shades. Were you among them?"

He stopped walking, hesitating before he said something. "Dinna take long to get the both of them. They weren't prepared. Not a bit. I remember them lying there in their blood. The first time I saw dead warlocks, I was surprised they bled red. I could have sworn it'd be another colour, blue or green or some such." He shrugged. "We took the cloaks off them, like skins off a tiger. I was given the keeping of them,

or more rightly, my father was. Glory, glory. Those were the days."

Emanuel was vexed by Stark-weather's words. He understood why his master held such hateful feelings over Shadow-hunters.

"Then Mortmain never had a chance. Everything was taken from him." Emanuel blurted out. James, William and Tessa looked horrified by his words as they shook their heads. They would not want Emanuel to ruin how well it was going with Stark-weather but Emanuel was furious.

"Of course not," the old man responded. "Rubbish, all of it—claiming the wife wasn't involved. What wife isn't neck-deep in her husband's business? Besides, he wasn't even their biological son, couldn't have been. Probably more of a pet to them than anything else. I'd wager the father'dhave used him for spare parts if it came down to it. He was better off without them. He should have been thanking us, not asking for a trial-"

He paused, as he pushed a large wooden door. William and James helped him. A "puh" came from them as it unsealed, the door making creaking noises.

"Ever been to the Crystal Palace? Well, this is even better."

The room was properly lit up, up against the walls were cabinets with glass doors, so one could see the objects inside.

Apparently spoils were not something Tessa thought it would be, it was rather the direct opposite of tasteful. Stark-weather was standing with James and William, telling them of silver bullets.

Emanuel saw a clawed hand in a jar, it was very small, so he assumed it must have belonged to a young warlock. He shuddered, then walked towards Tessa.

She was looking at a cabinet. Inside it were purple eyes on a plate, they looked as if they came from a cat. Tessa held her hands against her stomach, Emanuel walked closer to her, standing just a few inches from her. He gently set his arm on her lower back. He knew it was not proper for a man to do such a thing on a woman who was neither your betrothed nor wife. But her hands were shaking. Next to them, Stark-weather was chattering on about a fight.

"These fangs came from a powerful vampire in Scotland. We got reports that he and his clan would steal the youngest children in villages, just to turn them against their parents. If they refused, they let them out in the sun to burn to death." Stark-weather pointed a wrinkled finger on another cabin. "This heart is from a warlock, you would not believe what fight she put up. I reckoned her heart would be a different colour but-"

Emanuel would not listen any more, what kind of host was Stark-weather, bragging about having organs and limbs from Downworlders.

"Tessa, are you quite all right? Your hands...they're shaking." Emanuel whispered to her. Before he got a response from her, he acted quickly as she staggered backwards. Luckily, Emanuel was strong and quick enough to catch her.

"Tessa!" William shouted, reaching out a hand. James walked over to Emanuel and Tessa.

"My fiancé, she is not used to seeing these kind of spoils, it's new to her." James explained to Stark-weather.

"Very well, I'll tell one of the servants to take her to her room." Stark-weather said, his hands behind his back. He rang the bell and within a few seconds, an old servant showed up. He muttered something in her ear, then she trotted to Emanuel and Tessa.

"I can help her from here on, sir." The old servant said. "She was lucky to have you next to her." Tessa barely stood on her feet, her arms were over Emanuel's shoulders.

"Why don't I just help her up to the room." Emanuel asked, it must have been ignorant to say that, it should be James helping her. But Emanuel did not care, as long as he did not have the listen to Stark-weather any more.

The servant agreed, so both of them left William and James with Stark-weather as they walked upstairs.

* * *

It was mere twilight when Emanuel lied awake in his bed, the hard mattress pressing uncomfortably into his back and his pillow being too flat. During the day, the room was chilly, at night he'd realised it had become colder. Before he went to sleep he made sure the servants fuelled the fire with wood. Thankfully, it had helped so he'd fallen into sleep within a matter of minutes.

But the birds outside were twittering loud enough that Emanuel woke up. Now he was staring at the ceiling. Why would Mortmain lie? And had he lied about other matters, like his father? He had never mentioned where his father had acquired his pocket watch. If Mortmain would have said the truth about his past, Emanuel would still follow him. Shadow-hunters were responsible for the death of Emanuel's parents, so why would he not have wanted revenge? They had unfair rules that mostly benefited the highest positioned Shadow-hunters. Emanuel sat up straight in his bed, it was too tiresome to lie down.

"Leo?" Someone asked from the other side of the door. Emanuel went to open the door. It was Tessa in her night gown. "I hope I did not wake you up." She whispered when she spoke;

"No, I was already awake. What is it? Why have you come? It would not be safe if anyone found you standing here." Emanuel said. "Come in." Tessa stepped into the room then sat down on an armchair.

"I could not sleep, my mind is..." Tessa began.

"Your mind is...?" Emanuel said. "Are you thinking about William?" Tessa eyes broaden at his words and she shook her head.

"No, it's not..."

Emanuel turned his palms up against his chest. "Am I being too honest? Or is it wrong to state the truth? You do love him, or at least you have somewhat of romantic feelings for him. There's no denying it."

There was a silence. Tessa lowered her head, her hands open as if Emanuel revealed all her secrets and she had let them pour out of her hands.

"Do you think he has noticed?" Tessa broke the silence.

"William is a hard person to read, you must not believe that if he does something- anything for you it means he loves you." Emanuel said in a harsh tone. "I do not know much about his character. But it's clear that he cares for you, Tessa, that's all I can say. But if he loves you? I am not so sure of it since I barely know him."

"I should not feel these feelings, it is wrong of me and he does not care for me. He proved it the night when-"

She stopped. "I shouldn't even be in here, yet I'm sitting here, speaking with you of matters that does not concern you. I'm sorry, I'll leave."

"Tessa-" Emanuel tried but Tessa had already left the room. Had he been to harsh?

* * *

The next morning everyone had seated themselves down in the dining hall for breakfast, although there was none of them who finished their plate. After breakfast the group were ready to leave.

They had then stepped into the carriage that drove them to Mortmain's parents old home. Emanuel felt uneasy about visiting something that Mortmain considered to be confidential. There was never a moment when he'd spoken of his childhood with Emanuel, Mortmain wouldn't even speak about Emanuel's parents. During their journey to the manor, Tessa, James and William chatted. Emanuel said something occasionally. Otherwise they might have thought something was wrong if he had been quiet all the time. But something was wrong, Emanuel had never been so confused, angry and upset at the same time.

The carriage stopped with a jolt.

"We haven't arrived, this is not the place.'" Tessa said as all of them had stepped outside. Emanuel took a step down and immediately landed in mud which his shoe sank into.

"We can't really have stopped in front of the house entrance, Tessa." William said. "We need to get a look around this place, see if all of this is a trap."

They started to walk closer to the manor which had three hills surrounding it, at last they were standing close to the edges of the hills. Emanuel admitted that the location itself was magnificent as he looked around. But why would the manor look in a good shape if it was abandoned?

"Someone lives there, the manor looks like it has been taken care of." James said.

A carriage rattled towards the manor. They all took a step closer to view the scenery, the coachman stopped, stepped down and opened the door to a young woman who looked surprisingly like William. She paused mid-ways to the door and looked at their direction. After she'd entered the manor William let out a horrible gasp. Though it was not really a gasp, rather a word or a name. "_Cecily." _

"Cecily." William whispered in horror.

"Do you know her?" Emanuel asked.

"Who on earth is Cecily?" Tessa inquired, trying to stand up.

James patted William on his shoulder. "Is something wrong, you look like you've seen a ghost." James said to his friend. William drew a long breath before he said;

"My sister. Cecily. She was—Christ, she was nine years old when I left."

"Your sister?" Emanuel said.

William started down the hill which made James follow after him and pull his arm. "Will, come back."

"If Cecily's there, then the rest of them—my family—they must be there as well." William grabbed the hand James was holding his arm with and tried to pull it away from him. "I need to see why they are here."

Emanuel and Tessa hurled down the hill to where James and William were standing. "But for what reason would your family stay at Mortmain's parent's manor?" Emanuel asked, it felt strange to say his master's name.

"Maybe Cecily was visiting someone?" Tessa suggested.

William gave her a look. "In the middle of Yorkshire, by herself? And that was our carriage. I recognized it. There's no other carriage in the carriage house. No, my family's in this somehow. They've been dragged into this bloody business and I—I have to warn them."

William started to walk towards the manor, James walking after him. He tried to speak some sense into him but Emanuel was not listening, instead he was looking at the creature that was walking towards them. One of his automatons.

"William, wait, look!" James shouted and pointed at it.

"By the Angel." William said.

"That thing's been following us; I'm sure of it." James said, holding William and dragging both of them back. "I saw a flash of metal earlier, from the carriage, but I wasn't sure. If you go to the manor, you would be leading it to your family."

"I see, I won't go near the house. Let me go." William did not sound as hysterical any more. James hesitated at his words.

"I swear on Raziel's name, I won't go to the manor." William said.

James let him go and William staggered away to Emanuel, the automaton had appeared behind James.

"James!" Tessa cried. Emanuel sprinted to where James was standing, he took James's crane from his hands and bashed the automaton on it's head. Emanuel wished he wasn't forced to do this. All he could think of was the years, the weeks, the hours he had spent on the automatons. It was like losing your most valued work. But bashing it with a crane was not smart, he knew that he had constructed them so well that hitting a crane on their head would not have any affect at all.

So he yelled; "RUN!"

Tessa and William ran ahead of them and into the forest then out of sight. Emanuel and James sprinted towards the forest as well. The automaton had hurried after the group but suddenly it slowed down so they could hide from it. Emanuel was hiding behind a large tree with James, he gave him back his crane. "Sorry about that, it did not help as much as I thought it would." Emanuel said to James. Before he could say anything back they heard a scream. A few meters away Tessa was slamming a thick branch at the automaton. It took a hold of the branch and threw it away then the automaton lashed it''s metal hands around Tessa's neck.

"Tessa!" James screamed, Emanuel ran towards the automaton and picked up the branch Tessa had held. Then he slammed it's weakest spot, just over the upper back where all it's energy came from. The automaton released Tessa and fell down to the wet and muddy ground, it was leaking black fluid.

"Are you well, Tessa?" James asked while putting his arm around her waist.

"Better now." She said with huffing breaths. William had reappeared. All of them gathered around the automaton.

"Tell us." William demanded. "What are you doing here? Why are you following us?"

As Emanuel expected it had a buzzing voice when it spoke. "I . . . am . . . a . . . warning . . . from the Magister."

"A warning to whom? To the family in the manor? Tell me!" William kicked the creature. James placed a hand on his shoulder.

"It doesn't feel pain, Will," he said. "And it says it has a message, let it finish speaking."

"A warning . . . to you, Will Herondale . . . and to all Nephilim . . ." It said. "The Magister says . . . you must

cease your investigation. The past . . . is the past. Leave Mortmain's buried, or your family will pay the price. Do not dare approach or warn them. If you do, they will be destroyed."

William looked pale with red cheeks of anger. "How did Mortmain bring my family here? Did he threaten

them? What has he done?"

The creature made clicking noises and stopped; "I . . . am . . . a . . . warning . . . from . . ." William did not let it continue as he tried to slash off it's head with his sword.

"William, let go of it. There's not point in kicking it." James said in a husky tone. Figures from afar were walking towards them, they looked similar to the automaton that had attacked Tessa.

William continued to hit the creature with his sword. "We must leave, we might draw attention to your family." James uttered.

"Will, you know you cannot go near them," James said in a desperate tone. "It is the Law. If we bring danger to them, the Clave will not move to help them in any way. They are not Shadow-hunters any more, Will."

William threw his sword to his side, sank down to his knees and placed his face in his hands in agony. James picked up the sword and knelt next to William, he said something in a low voice so Emanuel and Tessa could not hear.

All of them ended up with burying the remains of the automaton. Under the heavy and clouded sky the group dug in silence.

Emanuel understood William's reaction to seeing his sister. He did not know how he'd react to seeing one of his family members if they had been alive. An emotion Emanuel had repressed many ago years came back as he thought of his family. He had always wished to have sisters and brothers to play with, a father and mother to lecture him and love him. But they were all dead. After they'd finished they walked back to their carriage.

"It's cloudy, it must mean that rain is coming." James said while placing the crane Emanuel had used next to him.

"Shame. I had hoped for better weather." Emanuel muttered.

"Cecily." Tessa uttered to William who turned his gaze to her. "She looks a whole lot like you."

He ignored her and did not respond. He still had anger in his eyes. Suddenly, Tessa shuddered and asked;

"Are you cold, Will?" He shook his head. Tessa looked at Emanuel and James in desperation but Emanuel had nothing to say.

So James opened his mouth to say; "Will, I thought . . . I thought that your sister was dead."

William smiled, but hastily, it was a sad smile. "My sister is dead."

* * *

Miles away in the London Institute Sophie had just finished cleaning the dishes from breakfast. She was waiting for Tessa, James and William to come back. They were going to return this very day.

"I will begin with lunch in a few hours. Would you the set table after I'm done?" Bridget asked her. Sophie nodded her head so Bridget continued singing her horrible songs;

_"Lord I feel like going home_

_I tried and I failed and I'm tired and weary_

_Everything I ever done was wrong_

_And I feel like going home"_

Sophie shook her head with annoyance while leaving the room, she walked past the large hall but stopped abruptly because someone had rang the door bell. No one was coming for a visit and none of the residents of the Institute had gone out. Sophie opened the entrance door whereas a young girl was standing with a smile on her face, she began speaking with a clear voice; "Good morning or should I say afternoon. I have come to meet Charlotte...Charlotte Branwell. You see, I wish to become a Shadow-hunter."

* * *

**That's chapter eight, what do you think? PLEASE REVIEW! :)**


	9. Author's noteNews

**Hi, I'm super-duper sorry that I haven't been able to update in like two weeks but I have a lot of catching up with in school. Right now I'm going to have one of the biggest exam in my life (so far) and I'm really nervous. Also, my beta-reader (is that what you call them?) has not been around lately to help me. Aaaaaand, I have to re-write the story because I changed my mind about the ending... but hopefully in like two-three weeks when the exams are over, I will be able to update every fifth day. Or more often when summer begins. For now I'm going to try my hardest to update next week. Also, thanks to everyone who has been reading the story so far, you're awesome! Because you're so awesome I'm going to give you a little of insight to the next chapter.**

**PS: if anyone would like to burn down my school it would mean more update...**

**PPS: that was just a joke.**

**PPPS:...or was it?**

* * *

Charlotte placed her hands on her tiny hips making her self look determinative. On the opposite of Charlotte was the young girl sitting on a wooden chair, the girl kept moving her head around with curiosity to study the room.

When Sophie had called for Charlotte just after breakfast about a visitor who wanted to speak with her, she could not be more hampered but as the head of the Institute it was her duty to welcome new Shadowhunters. So she hurled down to the hall where the girl was waiting for her. The guest was invited by Charlotte to sit in the dining hall.

Then Charlotte asked her why she'd come to the Institute. But since Charlotte was lacking energy due to not sleeping at all during the past few days Charlotte barely understood what the girl was talking about.

"My father came to me almost month ago to me tell about Shadowhunters..."

Charlotte felt her eyelids getting heavier as the young girl continued to speak, this girl really enjoyed speaking.

"...first I barley believed him but then..."

Sleeping in a comfortable bed with soft sheets was the only thing Charlotte could think of at the moment.

"...and now I'm here," the young girl waved her hands in excitement and said the last sentence so loud it tugged Charlotte out of her daydreaming.

"Oh dear, I have not even told you my name, it's just so very new for me. All of this, I can not believe the fairy-tale stories are true. It's a bit scary as well." She stopped and placed her hands on her knees like a proper lady who went to a boarding school would.

"Ah, before I forget, my name is Suraya but I would prefer if you could call me Sura instead." She grinned.

"Sura? Are you British?"Charlotte said. She knew the girl must descend from a foreign country, it was not the most common British name or was it even a British name, Charlotte wondered.

"I told you some minutes ago that my father is from an ancient Shadowhunter family who derive from the Oriental," Sura responded and did not show any slight sight to indicate she was abashed of her heritage.

"I'm sorry but my lack of sleep has drained away all my energy, could you be so kind to repeat your story?"

Sura nodded in joy, she was not hurt at all that Charlotte had not paid attention.

"It begins with my father, he came to me with worry in his eyes..." Sura told her story like a excellent story-teller, she enchanted Charlotte with her words and how she put them into use.

"He said there was something he'd kept hidden from me all my eighteen years. That a world filled of mythical creatures who I thought only lived in the stories, did actually existed. I was compelled by his words and considered that my dear father had gone mad. But when I had given him the time to explicate, I realised he'd not been lying or gone mad. My father even showed me some of his marks, the runes you draw on one and other, I saw them in the hall and must I say that they're fantastic. Further more, he told me, I'm a Shadowhunter as well and he wanted me to come here to train. So I'd become one of you, to continue on with my heritage."

Charlotte sat down on one of the chairs while she asked; "But why did your father keep this away from you?"

"That's the exact question I asked him. He simply answered that he wanted me to have a normal life, to marry and have children. That was one of the reasons he married a mundane, and of course because he fell in love with her." Sura explained.

"That means your father was kicked out of the Shadowhunter world because-"

Sura nodded; "He spook of your - our rules. They are rough rules but I understand why they are rough, after all Shadowhunters live a harsh life. But after these years my father learned he could not keep this world hidden away from me any more. He noticed as I grew up that I saw Shadowhunters who were glamoured, I saw vampires and warlocks. But at a young age I thought it was normal seeing these creatures, for a while I asked my father if he saw them as well, I guess, that's when he understood he could not keep this secret away from me. So he asked me if I wanted to continue on with living a mundane life or become a Shadow-hunter and here I am. This is my choice."

* * *

**What do you think of Sura? :)**


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